During spring break, this beachy hot-spot is jamming. During early May, it's beautiful, but dead.

I did have my first In-And-Out Burger experience, which was fantastic. The fresh hand-cut fries actually tasted like potato, a welcome rarity in the world of fast-food. And for the burger, animal style is preferred.

The San Diego Zoo lives up to even high expectations.

The zoo is home to many exotic and endangered animals--the most famous being the pandas. Going at non-peak time was clutch, and having our student ID's entitled us to $10 off per ticket, which was also pretty sweet.

Here's a quick summary:

Pandas are smaller than you expect
Flamingos are smellier
Galapagos tortoises walk like robots
Peacocks roam free, but prefer the area outside the women's restroom
Gorillas look thoughtful, yet sadTigers are lazy in the afternoon
Koalas are even cuter up close
People are one of the most interesting exhibits

Of the Grand Canyon.

Even more so than Carlsbad, there are no words, pictures, or movies which can capture the immense beauty and unimaginable size of the Canyon, so we're not even going to try.

We did have a great time camping here, and enjoyed the company of Calem, an Aussie from Melbourne. We shared a campfire, some beers, and smores. We learned much about Australia, including how to make a traditional camping treat called "bog in a bag."

Went to bed smelling hickory smoked and were very glad to have our zero degree sleeping bags, as the temperature dipped below freezing overnight.

The preztels at the bottom of Carlsbad Caverns aren't that bad.

But it's freaking weird to find a food court 754 feet below the surface of the earth in a natural wonder.

The Caverns are simply amazing. As you walk down the 1.5 mile natural entrance it gets cold, dark, damp, and smelly (we're told it's a rare combination of bat pee and mineral deposits). Once you get down there, it's quite a sight.

The Big Room alone can hold 14 Astrodomes, and in total, there is 31 miles of cave. So the 3 miles we did barely scratched the surface. Unless you're a seasoned spelunker, you've never seen anything like geology of Carlsbad. Each turn reveals a formation more bizarre, rare, and alien than the one that just blew your mind.

One major caveat is that no photos can do this place justice. The low light creates problems, but even the best photographer couldn't capture the feeling of being in Carlsbad Caverns.

San Antonio is a great city and we were happy to spend some time there.

The Riverwalk is particularly cool, and winds right through the heart of downtown, with shops and restaurants on both sides. We ate fajitas at a mexican place complete with Mariachi band, and people-watched from the balcony as we ate dinner. We then traipsed around town looking for a hotel before deciding to sleep in the car. FYI--The Hyatt has pristine public facilities which freshened us up for the next day, which we spent at the Alamo.

Until asked to take off my hat, we were unaware the Alamo is considered a shrine. For reasons of respect and sanctity, you aren't allowed to take pictures or video inside the walls. So we can't show you the most interesting stuff. In its heydey, I'm sure the outside was quite impressive, but these days it's overshadowed by modern buildings and the city built around it. But it is remarkable to imagine that for 13 days, a battle raged on within these modest walls. A battle that inspired the Republic of Texas to win its independence from Mexico.

Okay, almost a week has gone by since we've last posted. Sorry about that, we've been moving fast and without prolonged internet access.

Brace yourselves for a rash of posts.

The scene on 6th street the next day was totally different than the night before.

Still blocked off to traffic, it was filled with artists tents instead of intoxicated club goers. There was the usual assortment of painters, jewelers and carnival-stype food, but with a heavy dose of metal workers, soap makers, and wood sculptors.

We saw some of the best work we'd seen anywhere, and unfortunately we didn't have a way to pay for or transport all the things we wanted to buy. But the refreshing cherry limeades we did get totally hit the spot.

In contrast to the refreshing beverages, we also peeped some ultra rare pure capsaicin at Tears of Joy. "Blair's 16 Million Reserve" is pure pharmaceutical grade capsaicin crystal rated at 16 million scoville units, the maximum on the Scoville scale, which measure the hotness (piquancy) of chili peppers. For reference, a jalapeno registers about 8,000 Scoville units, and a very spicy habanero clocks in at around 350,000. This Blair's stuff is so rare that it's serial numbered, hand-sealed in wax, protected in a Plexiglas box behind the counter, and costs $400.

Austin is the live music capital of the world, and it's easy to hear why.

Melodies pours out of all the clubs on 4th, 5th, and 6th street and buskers stud the sidewalks. A walk around the block is like scanning the radio. You can hear rock, blues, country, r&b, jazz, punk, techno, alternative, barbershop quartets--you name it.

After passing by the famous Stubbs, and Club de Ville (which is an amphitheater carved out of bedrock), we were drawn into Nuno's on Sixth by a smooth soulful sound, the sound of a guitar player called Daddy I, and a band called Hot Sauce.

These four guys really laid it down. And Nuno's was a great hangout because everyone was there to sit back and enjoy the music. We were mesmerized by their entire set, and Daddy I's wife even pulled me on the dance floor to teach me some moves. A lesson I won't soon forget, and a night we won't either.

Along with the posts, we've added new Pictures from our previous destinations.  We've also updated some of the already listed Albums.  Check out new pictures in Houston and Missouri City and new galleries for places we've been since.

To David and Matt for letting us crash at the house, for cooking one of the best meals we've had anywhere in the country, and for the cooking tips, gator knowledge and for showing us a truly great time.